ANC approves Vincent Smith’s stepping down as land hearings chair

The political committee of the African National Congress (ANC) has welcomed and granted Vincent Smith the permission to step down from chairing any parliamentary portfolio committee until the finalisation of investigations into his alleged unethical conduct.

Smith recently stepped down as the chair of the joint constitutional review committee on amending section 25 of the constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation after allegations of unethical conduct were levelled against him by the Democratic Alliance (DA) following reports in the media.

The DA had expressed its intention to report the matter to parliament’s ethics committee, claiming that Smith had “received benefits both financially and in kind from Bosasa” and had not declared them as is required of someone in his position.

READ MORE: ANC: Vincent Smith a target because of our land expropriation plans

The DA’s claims are based on reports that Smith allegedly received at least R670,000 from controversial facilities management company Bosasa over the past three years.

The office of the ANC chief whip said in a statement on Thursday that although Smith had been allowed to step down as chairperson of parliamentary committees, he would remain an ordinary member of all committees he was a member of.

The governing party said it has in the interim deployed Standford Maila to be the acting co-chairperson of the joint constitutional review committee, Madipane Mothapo as acting chair of the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services and Nthabiseng Khunou as the acting chair of the standing committee on the auditor-general.

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